Grapevine named &#39;SAUVIGNON DORÉ&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of grapevine named ‘SAUVIGNON DORÉ’, primarily adapted to the growing conditions of the temperate regions, and characterized by its medium vigor; semi-erect growth habit; wedge-shaped leaves with medium texture; small cylindrical shaped green-yellow berry clusters with a golden nuance on the sunny side of the berries; early maturing, soft berry flesh with no coloration and neutral taste primarily for winemaking; and resistance to winter temperatures (to −23° C.), resistance to downy mildew and tolerance to powdery mildew.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES OF THE PLANT CLAIMED

Vitis×vinifera (hybrid)

VARIETY NAME

‘SAUVIGNON DORÉ’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct summer/fall bearing grapevine variety, botanically known as Vitis vinifera, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘SAUVIGNON DORÉ’.

The new grapevine ‘SAUVIGNON DORÉ’ is a product of a controlled breeding program conducted by the inventors in Udine, Italy. The objective of the breeding program was to develop a new grapevine variety particularly characterized by resistance to cold (<−20° C.), resistance to downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola), and tolerance to powdery mildew (Uncinula necator).

The new grapevine ‘SAUVIGNON DORÉ’ originated from a cross made by the inventors in 2002 in Udine, Italy. The female or seed parent is the grapevine variety Vitis vinifera cv. ‘Sauvignon’ (unpatented), and the male or pollen parent is the grapevine variety Vitis cv. ‘Bianca’ (Eger 2×Bouvier) (unpatented).

The new grapevine ‘SAUVIGNON DORÉ’ was discovered and selected by the inventors as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in 2002 in Udine, Italy. Asexual reproduction of the new grapevine variety by grafting was first performed in February 2004 in Rauscedo, Friuli Venezia Giulia region, Italy, and has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new cultivar are firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction. The new cultivar reproduces true to type.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

‘SAUVIGNON DORÉ’ is primarily adapted to the climate and growing conditions of the temperate regions with average yearly temperature about 13° C., minimum winter temperature about −20° C., annual rainfall around 700-1500 mm of rain (e.g. North-Eastern Italy, Friuli). This region provides the necessary year-round temperatures required to produce and maintain a strong vigorous plant with consistent fruit production from April through November on primocanes and in the ensuing year from April through November on the floricanes.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be unique characteristics of ‘SAUVIGNON DORÉ’, which in combination distinguish this grapevine plant as a new and distinct variety.

-   1. Medium vigor; -   2. Semi-erect growth habit; -   3. Medium size wedge-shaped leaves, with a pale green upper and     lower surface and medium texture; -   4. Small, dense cylindrical clusters with 1 small size wing; early     maturing, green-yellow berries with golden nuances on the sunny side     of the berries, soft flesh, neutral taste, and no flesh coloration,     primarily used for winemaking. -   5. Elliptic cross section, brownish color primocanes and floricanes     with no lenticels and short-medium internodes (10-11 cm) of 10 mm     diameter. -   6. Harvesting time in early September (Middle Friuli, North-Eastern     Italy); and -   7. Resistance to winter temperature (−23° C.), resistance to downy     mildew, and tolerance to powdery mildew.

Plants of the new grapevine ‘SAUVIGNON DORÉ’ differ from plants of the parents, Vitis vinifera ‘Sauvignon’ (unpatented) and ‘Bianca’ (unpatented), in the following characteristics described in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Comparison with Parent Varieties New Cultivar Female Parent Male Parent Charac- ‘SAUVIGNON ‘Sauvignon’ ‘Bianca’ teristic DORÉ’ (unpatented) (unpatented) vigor medium medium strong growth Semi-erect Semi-erect semi-erect habit leaf medium size, Medium size, medium size, pale green col- green color (up- pale green color or (upper sur- per surface), pale (upper surface), face), pale green green color (lower green color (lower color (lower sur- surface), circular surface), no hairs face), wedge- shape, medium in both surfaces, shaped, medium texture, prostrate wedge-to-kidney- texture, no hairs hairs present in shaped, medium in both surfaces upper surface and texture in lower surface cluster Low size, cylin- Low size, cylin- Low size, conical, drical with 1-2 drical-conical with 1-2 wings, middle size with 1-2 wings, medium bunch wings, very dense, berry skin density, berry skin dense, berry skin with green-yel- with green-yellow with green-yellow low color, slightly color, slightly firm color, soft flesh, firm flesh, herba- flesh, neutral taste, neutral taste, no ceous taste, no no flesh coloration flesh coloration flesh coloration primo- elliptic cross sec- Circular section, oblate cross section, cane and tion, brownish brownish color, brownish color, floricane color, lenticels: lenticels: absent, lenticels: absent, absent, short- short-middle medium internodes, middle inter- internodes (10- diameter small nodes (10-11 11 cm), diameter (about 8 mm) cm), diameter: 10 mm 10 mm harvest- Medium (early Medium (Early early (end of August ing time September in September in to mid-September Middle Friuli, Middle Friuli, in Middle Friuli, North-Eastern North-Eastern North-Eastern Italy) Italy) Italy) resis- resistant to win- Average resis- resistant to cold not tances ter temperature tance to winter known; resistant to (−23° C.), resis- temperature (−15° downy mildew, tant to downy mil- C.), susceptible to resistant to dew, tolerant to downy mildew, powdery mildew powdery mildew, susceptible to powdery mildew

Of the many commercial cultivars known to the present inventor, the most similar to the new grapevine ‘SAUVIGNON DORÉ’ is the female parent ‘Sauvignon’, to which a comparison has been provided above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new grapevine ‘SAUVIGNON DORÉ’ showing the colors as true as is reasonably possible with colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the color of ‘SAUVIGNON DORÉ’.

FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B show a typical fruit cluster of ‘SAUVIGNON DORÉ’, taken on Sep. 7, 2012 in Udine, Italy.

FIG. 2 shows a typical mature leaf (upper surface, left and lower surface, right) of ‘SAUVIGNON DORÉ’, taken on Jun. 15, 2012 in Udine, Italy.

FIG. 3 shows a typical mature vine of ‘SAUVIGNON DORÉ’, taken on Aug. 3, 2012.

FIG. 4 shows a close-up view of typical mature fruit of ‘SAUVIGNON DORÉ’, taken on Aug. 25, 2012 in Udine, Italy

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following description of ‘SAUVIGNON DORÉ’ unless otherwise noted, is based on observations taken during the 2011, 2012, and 2013 growing seasons(s) in Udine (UD), Italy and Fossalon di Grado (GO), Italy, from plants dug from a nursery located in Rauscedo (PN), Italy during the beginning of December 2007 and planted approximately 16 to 20 weeks later in Udine (UD), Italy and Fossalon di Grado (GO), Italy. The phenotypical descriptions and color designations stated for the new variety may vary, depending upon variations in environmental factors, including weather (temperature, humidity and light intensity), day length, soil type, location and cultural conditions. ‘SAUVIGNON DORÉ’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions.

‘SAUVIGNON ‘SAUVIGNON’ Characteristic DORÉ’ (unpatented) GENERAL Resistance to Resistant to downy Susceptible to downy pest/disease mildew, tolerant to mildew and to pow- powdery mildew dery mildew Resistance to Resistant to winter Resistant to winter natural elements cold down to −23° C. cold down to −15° C. VINE Vigor Medium medium Trunk diameter 6 cm 6.5 cm Bark color Dark brown Dark brown underbark color Light brown Light brown texture n.a. n.a. Canes length Internode length Internode length cm 10.5 about cm 11 width 10 mm 8 mm Shoots shape Semi-erect, elliptic Semi-erected, cross cross section, surface section: circular, with stripes, nodes surface: smooth, and internodes without nodes and internodes hairs without hairs color Internodes with red and Internodes with green green pigmentation on color on ventral and the dorsal side and dorsal side, nodes with green on the ventral side green ventral and dor- sal side Tendrils form Bifid bifid color Green Green texture normal normal number 2 or <2 consecutive 2 or <2 consecutive Buds size average average shape round round color Light brown Light brown number 2/node 2/node time of budbreak medium early-medium LEAVES Size medium medium Number of leaflets 3-5  5 Glossiness Medium-high medium Cross section shape V-shaped V-shaped Color (immature) Upper surface Pale green Pale green Under surface green Pale green Color (mature) Upper surface Pale green Medium green Under surface Pale green Darker green Petiole Length (cm)  6.2  6.0 Color (upper green green surface) Color (under Sometimes reddish green surface) Stipule orientation n.a. n.a. FLOWERS Flowering period End of May End of May (time of beginning of flowering) Sex hermaphrodite hermaphrodite Size Average average Diameter (cm) 0.3 (stamens) 0.3 (stamens) Fragrance average average Flower number (at n.a. n.a. 3^(rd) node from tip of lateral mean and range) Petals Length (cm) n.a. n.a. Width (cm) n.a. n.a. Overall shape calyptra calyptra Color (immature) green green Upper surface Under surface Color (mature) green green Upper surface Under surface Sepals Length (cm) n.a. n.a. Width (cm) n.a. n.a. Overall shape n.a. n.a. Color (immature) n.a. n.a. Upper surface Under surface Color (mature) n.a. n.a. Upper surface Under surface Pedicel Length (mm)  7  7 Color green green FRUIT Primocane time of September 17th September 7th fruiting (1^(st) pick) Clusters cluster weight Low (g 192) Low (g 230) cluster shape cylindrical conical cluster length mm 180 medium avg. berries per 150 220 cluster avg. clusters per  2  2 shoot Berries Berry size g 1.3 g 1.0 Berry length (cm)  1.68  1.50 Berry width (cm)  1.40  1.50 Overall shape of ellipsoid globose berry Berry Texture soft soft Berry Color green green (immature) Berry Color Yellow-green green (mature) Soluble solids (%)  22.6  21.1 Titratable acidity  4.8  5.7 (as g/L tartaric acid) Sugar/acid ratio  4.7  3.7 Firmness soft soft Seeds 2-3 2-3 Skin cracking? no rarely Juice color transparent transparent Berry taste Neutral neutral Eating quality n.a. n.a. Berry uses wine wine Shipping quality n.a. n.a. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct grapevine, referred to as ‘SAUVIGNON DORÉ’, as herein described and illustrated by the characteristics set forth above. 